A scanning device includes a scanning mechanism, a memory, a processing mechanism, and a scan rate adjustment mechanism. The scanning mechanism scans a media sheet having an image thereon at a variable scan rate, to yield raw data. The memory temporarily stores the raw data. The processing mechanism converts the raw data within the memory into processed data. The raw data is removed from the memory as the raw data is converted. The scan rate adjustment mechanism adjusts the variable scan rate, based on one or more of an amount of free space within the memory, a fill rate at which the raw data is filling the memory, and a removal rate at which the raw data is being removed from the memory, so that the memory does not become completely full.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A scanning device comprising: a scanning mechanism to scan a media sheet having an image thereon at a variable scan rate, to yield raw data; a memory to temporarily store the raw data; a processing mechanism to convert the raw data within the memory into processed data, the raw data removed from the memory as the raw data is converted; and, a scan rate adjustment mechanism to adjust the variable scan rate, by: starting scanning of the media sheet at a first scan rate; upon the memory becoming a first percentage full with the raw data while scanning at the first scan rate, determining a second scan rate so that the memory is predicted to become a second percentage full with the raw data when the media sheet has been completely scanned, the first percentage different than the second percentage, the first scan rate different than the second scan rate; and, continuing scanning of the media sheet at the second scan rate.
2. The scanning device of claim 1 , further comprising a monitoring mechanism to monitor one or more of the amount of free space within the memory, the fill rate, and the removal rate.
3. The scanning device of claim 1 , further comprising one of: a media movement mechanism to move the media sheet in relation to the scanning mechanism at the variable scan rate, the scanning mechanism remaining stationary; and, a scanning movement mechanism to move the scanning mechanism in relation to the media sheet at the variable scan rate, the media sheet remaining stationary.
4. The scanning device of claim 1 , further comprising a positional controller to determine a current position of the scanning mechanism in relation to the media sheet.
5. The scanning device of claim 1 , wherein one of: the scan rate adjustment mechanism continually adjusts the variable scan rate at which the media sheet is being scanned so that the memory does not become completely full; and, the scan rate adjustment mechanism adjusts the scan rate at which the media sheet is being scanned at discrete intervals so that the memory does not become completely full.
6. The scanning device of claim 1 , wherein the scan rate adjustment mechanism is to further adjust the variable scan rate by: upon the memory becoming the first percentage full with the raw data again while scanning at the second scan rate, determining a third scan rate so that the memory is predicted to again become the second percentage full with the raw data when the media sheet has been completely scanned, the third scan rate different than both the first scan rate and the second scan rate; and, continuing scanning of the media sheet at the third scan rate.
7. A method comprising: scanning a media sheet having an image thereon to yield raw data temporarily stored within a memory; processing the raw data to yield processed data, the raw data being removed from the memory as the raw data is processed; adjusting a scan rate at which the media sheet is being scanned, comprising: starting scanning of the media sheet at a first scan rate; upon the memory becoming a first percentage full with the raw data while scanning at the first scan rate, determining a second scan rate so that the memory is predicted to become a second percentage full with the raw data when the media sheet has been completely scanned, the first percentage different than the second percentage, the first scan rate different than the second scan rate; and, continuing scanning of the media sheet at the second scan rate.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising, upon the media sheet being completely scanned and the raw data being completely processed, outputting the processed data, the processed data corresponding to the image on the media sheet.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein adjusting the scan rate at which the media sheet is being scanned so that the memory does not become completely full comprises continually adjusting the scan rate at which the media sheet is being scanned so that the memory does not become completely full.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein adjusting the scan rate at which the media sheet is being scanned so that the memory does not become completely full comprises adjusting the scan rate at which the media sheet is being scanned at discrete intervals.
11. The method of claim 7 , wherein scanning the media sheet having the image thereon to yield the raw data temporarily stored within the memory comprises optically scanning a physical media sheet having the image thereon on a media sheet swath-by-media sheet swath basis.
12. The method of claim 7 , wherein scanning the media sheet having the image thereon to yield the raw data temporarily stored within the memory comprises scanning a physical media sheet having the image thereon by using a stationary scanning mechanism in relation to which the physical media sheet is moved.
13. The method of claim 7 , wherein scanning the media sheet having the image thereon to yield the raw data temporarily stored within the memory comprises scanning a physical media sheet having the image thereon by using a movable scanning mechanism that moves in relation to which the physical media sheet, the physical media sheet remaining stationary.
14. The method of claim 7 , wherein scanning the media sheet having the image thereon to yield the raw data temporarily stored within the memory comprises optically scanning a physical media sheet having the image thereon to yield the raw data temporarily stored within the memory, the raw data corresponding to the image on the media sheet.
15. The method of claim 7 , wherein processing the raw data to yield the processed data comprises processing the raw data to yield the processed data, the processed data corresponding to the image on the media sheet.
16. The method of claim 7 , wherein adjusting the scan rate at which the media sheet is being scanned further comprises: upon the memory becoming the first percentage full with the raw data again while scanning at the second scan rate, determining a third scan rate so that the memory is predicted to again become the second percentage full with the raw data when the media sheet has been completely scanned, the third scan rate different than both the first scan rate and the second scan rate; and, continuing scanning of the media sheet at the third scan rate.
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July 31, 2007
August 9, 2011
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